Malema kicks out BBC journalist

Johannesburg - A journalist at an ANC Youth League media briefing was called a "bastard" and an "agent" by its president Julius Malema on Thursday.

The media briefing was on the Youth League's visit to Zimbabwe.

Malema was criticising the Movement for Democratic Change for speaking out against the visit from its office in Sandton, when BBC journalist Jonah Fisher mentioned that the youth league leader lived in Sandton.

An angry Malema retorted: "Here you behave or else you jump. Don't come here with that white tendency, go out bastard, bloody agent."

Explaining the outburst later, Malema said the youth league and its leadership could not be undermined "in our own terrain".

"This is not a playground. This is not a beerhall. Don't abuse us in our own space, in our own house... this is my house," he said, referring to ANC headquarters, Chief Albert Luthuli House.

Land reform policy 'courageous'

Malema recently returned from a trip to Zimbabwe to study the effects of "nationalisation" in that country.

Malema hailed Zimbabwe's land reform policy as "courageous and militant".

"Land reform in Zimbabwe has been very successful," he said, adding that the controversial programme was a "very correct method".

Malema said violence, however, should never be used to implement policy. He said this before verbally sparring with the journalist.